Will is impressed "GOOD distraction"<br><br>
<div class="gmail_quote">On Tue, Jun 23, 2009 at 10:10 PM, Scott Adams <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:longshot@darktech.org">longshot@darktech.org</a>></span> wrote:<br>
<blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0px 0px 0px 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: #ccc 1px solid"><br> HT Alias/Player Character Name Type Status/Notes Sex<br> -- -----------------------------------------------------------------<br>
R1.John Haight...........Arawn.............Druid .Normal/Alfar Ma<br> ??.Chris Wells...........Ben'dar...........Warrior.Normal/Human Ma<br> R4.Tom Corckett..........Caladan...........Wizard Normal/Human Ma<br> W2.Marcel Liberty........Chion.............Sailor..Normal/Human Ma<br>
W3.Ryan Torres...........Farseeker.........Warrior.Normal/Human Ma<br> --.Tobie Bonahoom........Fremea............Sidh....Normal/Faerry Fe<br> R2.Mark Murtha...........Kell..............Trader..Normal/Human..Ma<br> Do.David Sanders.........Kiet.Sunan........Acrobat Normal/Human Ma<br>
R4.J H Hooten............Raban.Usherwood...Bard....Normal/Human..Ma<br> W2.Robert Maxwell........Strie'bog.........Bard....Normal/Human..Ma<br> R1 NPC...................Shu.Yeoh..........Wizard..Normal/Human..Fe<br> W4.Wout Broere...........Unali.............Ninja...Normal/Human Fe<br>
Do John.Stowman..........Will..............Hunter..Normal/Human..Ma<br> R4.Alex Koponen..........Z'leyra...........Healer..Normal/Human Fe<br> R1 NPC...................Zhou Kiwat........Noble...Normal/Human..Ma<br> Animals: Corona [Eagle] Z'leyra, Tef'wo (Horse) Ben'dar, 2 Donkeys<br>
<br> Cover Story Info:<br> Caladan aka Ca Lu as Guard/Archer<br> Farseeker aka Fu Sa as Guard<br> Fremea as Noble child [Disguised]<br> Kell aka Swan as Trader<br> Unali as Zhou's wife<br>
<br> Game Web Site - <a href="http://www.funport.com/longshot/pbem" target="_blank">http://www.funport.com/longshot/pbem</a><br> Public posts/actions to <a href="mailto:pnpgm@abroere.xs4all.nl">pnpgm@abroere.xs4all.nl</a> (mailing list)<br>
Private emails (not public actions) to <a href="mailto:longshot@darktech.org">longshot@darktech.org</a><br><br> Game Update #17 in sequence (file #202)<br> ----------------------------------------------------------------<br>
<br> Admin Notes: None.<br> -----------------------------------------------------------------<br> [Recap]<br><br> From Kiet: [Re: Dragon Miracle]<br> If it works...awesome...if not, then I can at least console<br>
myself with the thought that I saved a donkey's life....<br> GM: Ack. :) Good plan though.<br><br> -----------------------------------------------------------------<br> [New Stuff]<br><br> [Apris 15th, 1634TH]<br>
[Location: High Elder's Citadel, after meeting with High Elder]<br><br> Z'leyra buys from the market cheap damaged weapons for practice<br> of skills on board the ship. Including two great swords, two<br>
hand axes and two war staves.<br><br> Soon after the meeting, Z'leyra hears Raban making an open<br> offer for folks to scan him for magic. "Okay if I cast some<br> basic detection spells?"<br>
<br> Raban nods and Z'leyra begins the process. She first eners<br> her shamanic trance with her drum. Then casts a detection<br> spell with her staff. While in the trance she reports the<br> same things that Arawn and Fremea previously reported. Soon<br>
she casts another spell. It takes almost 30 seconds for her to<br> watch Raban. At one point she looks away and Raban notices<br> a slight blush on her face.<br><br> Z'leyra later welcomes both Shu Yeoh and Zhou Kiwat to the<br>
group.<br><br><br> ----------------------<br><br><br> [Apris 17th, 1634TH]<br> [Location: Eastern Shadow Domain, Port for ship]<br><br> Z'leyra thanks thanks those like Kiet that repay her advance<br>
of funds for ship fees.<br><br> Z'leyra also mentions to Arawn that she does know Time Powers,<br> but not sure when she will have time to teach them. Also, that the<br> Time Travel spell requires FAR more care than most spells in<br>
deciding if and how to cast.<br><br> ----------------------<br><br><br> [Apris 19th, 1634TH]<br> [Location: Eastern Ocean, Sailing to Katai]<br><br> Z'leyra shares her complete Foyson biscuit material during<br>
the trip for anyone who wishes to eat it. It is plenty of<br> food for 20 days for a normal man. Arawn and Fremea has seen<br> these type of things in the Sidh Hill back at the Vassa forest.<br><br><br>
----------------------<br><br><br> [Ma 3rd, 1634TH]<br> [Location: Eastern Ocean, Heading S/SE, 490 miles south of DL]<br> [Weather: Patchy Clouds, Temperatures 70-80s as highs.]<br>
[Wind: Low speed]<br><br> [Time: 1:43:30 pm] to [Time: 1:43:45 pm]<br><br> In the next 15 seconds, Kiet flies fast toward the dragon<br> going at 20 feet per second and the dragon about same give or<br>
take a foot. Meanwhile the dragon in the rear continues to<br> lose ground as the ship's new speed, thanks to Chion, continues<br> to widen the distance between each.<br><br> At best the rear dragon is a good 2,300 feet behind the ship<br>
and the one in the forward is around 850 feet. When Kiet left<br> the ship it was actually closer at around 700 feet. But the<br> Captain and first mate saw their chance to act. They changed<br> course yet again to widen their own distance from that dragon.<br>
They had seen the dragon clearly changed course for its free<br> food coming to it. So another 150 feet was made away from the<br> two.<br><br> As Kiet nears the dragon more detail is seen. Those looking<br>
on deck with spyglasses like Unali, Fremea or sailors will see<br> the same detail. The black wet skin is full of thick plate<br> scales that look like it should be land based than water based.<br> There is a lighter black color to the dragon's under neck and under<br>
belly that is only seen briefly at times. Kiet sees their wings like<br> their cousins that fly are gone and replaced by large fins like that<br> of the whale. But these jut out the side about 8 or so feet and<br>
could probably bat most people in the water easily. A long sleek<br> tail, almost leftover from their cousins, trails behind. Kiet isn't<br> clear if it is used for navigation, as a weapon or a useless limb<br>
at this point. It seems to wag and move in random directions. Kiet<br> figures it must be the easiest part to cut off in a fight if one<br> dared to get that close.<br><br> The dark black as coal tapered body is slick and long at about<br>
24 feet. It is hard to tell how tall it is or how much it might<br> weigh since most of it is in the water. In the water deep it<br> must be a nightmare to track in dark water. No gills are seen but<br>
Kiet figures they surface for air when needed but the stories tell<br> they do not breath fire. Land dragons are said to breath fire<br> due to sacs of mysterious things and air that allows them to do this.<br>
While others believe they eat certain materials that work like flint<br> and steel to mix the flames. If these are left over from their<br> land cousins it must be the sacs here allow them to breath long<br>
periods of time in the water making them able to drag their prey,<br> in this case Kiet, down deep. Kiet plans to stay well out of reach.<br><br> Kiet figures it could be as heavy as most dragons but shorter<br>
since water grows length more than height. He figures it to be<br> 5-6 feet at the shoulder. The shoulder to neck is another 3 feet<br> making it possible to lean over most ships to do their havoc work.<br>
So it probably stands 7-8 feet by his guess.<br><br> The dragon's ears are drawn back prepared for battle or a<br> quick snack before it takes more snacks on the ship. The jaw<br> is as huge Fremea is. Fremea could probably be swallowed whole<br>
with little effort. A man due to his length might take two<br> bites. Raban likely three, the lucky guy might be able to<br> get a swing out of it before fully eaten - the lucky guy Kiet<br> thinks to himself.<br>
<br> The teeth make the frightened shark's teeth look like<br> human baby teeth. They are long 3-4 inches in some places and<br> large canine like fangs are almost twice that. They look<br> sharp as any sword and as numerous as a hundred daggers in one<br>
mouth. Kiet notices his nostrils flare with anger and loathing.<br> Then Kiet notices the eyes as large as a Giant's eyes but<br> about twice the size of a human eye. They gleam in the sun<br> shining down from almost straight up at Kiet's back down into<br>
the Dragon's eyes. Kiet realizes this gives him a slight<br> advantage as he is coming from the brighter side of this fight.<br> But the ship would have no such advantage as the sun would not<br> be a factor. Kiet stares at the eyes full of anger as well<br>
showing more emotion, and Kiet fears yet respects, intelligence.<br> Kiet swears he sees some faint red in the creature's eyes but<br> it could be the sun or his own eyes playing tricks.<br><br> Kiet quickly says as he flies near a prayer for success.<br>
It is one thing to act brave in front of the others but this thing<br> is a dangerous foe even for someone like Raban or Farseeker<br> or Ben'dar to handle in personal combat. One word spoken wrong<br>
could mean disaster. This dragon will have its jaws and teeth<br> as its main weapon and no magic - Kiet hopes the stories are true<br> on that regard. The fins will be useless unless someone gets<br>
in the water.<br><br> After 15 seconds of flight Kiet gets within just 40 feet of<br> the dragon. With him going fast and the dragon coming to meet<br> him it is a quick 700 or so feet jump. Kiet does one more glance<br>
to his right to spot the ship and doesn't see it. Curious he<br> almost loses concentration and tilts a bit. Where is the ship?<br> Then he glances left and scans the water. There it is but it<br>
has well passed him and the dragon. If it continues on he realizes<br> he might not be able to catch up with it. Kiet forgo to plan for<br> that part. Even if he talks for a minute or two. How far would<br>
that be? It looks about 900 feet away now from Kiet. It could<br> be well over 1000 feet away. He realizes he could be left behind<br> unless someone realizes he is left behind and the ship circles or<br>
comes to get him. Would the captain risk his ship to come back<br> for him even if the talk goes well? Kiet frowns and realizes<br> no. He would not risk it, heck Kiet would not with all the people<br>
on board and the high risk.<br><br> Kiet will have to resolve that later or swim really long to<br> Katai. He will have to figure out possible magic to resolve<br> this new problem later. He turns back to face the dragon now<br>
only 40 feet away.<br><br> --------------<br><br> [Time: 1:43:45 pm] to [Time: 1:44:22 pm]<br><br> As Kiet finishes the distance he begins to speak in Lemasan<br> loud enough for the dragon to hear him. He speaks fast and with<br>
great dignity, yet clear tension is heard in his voice. It<br> takes almost 40 seconds to complete his speech. As he gets<br> to the Dragon he circles it at a height of 15 feet up and<br> in a 10 foot diameter. He has to circle around the Dragon in<br>
a dizzying pace to maintain the spell going.<br><br> At the closest approach the Dragon roars and Kiet can feel<br> the hot and quite rank odor of the Dragon's mouth. Kiet feels<br> bile form in his stomach but maintains his stance and speech<br>
hoping he isn't turning green as he speaks. The roar itself<br> shakes Kiet to the very base of his skull and backbone. As<br> if his entire body repels it and wants to flee on its own.<br><br> The dragon stops moving and floats in the water watching<br>
the crazed meat source fly about him like some seagull. If<br> only he came a bit closer! He growls and flaps his fins in<br> frustration and water splashes in every direction. Kiet<br> realizes if he gets a lucky jump he might reach him but if<br>
he goes higher his speech might show some doubt for the dragon.<br><br> At this distance no one can hear what Kiet says or offers.<br> Simply the distance involved, the language and the winds<br> blowing are too distracting. Those on board wonders first why<br>
this crazed acrobat is even out there offering something for<br> the Dragon. Second they wonder if he has some love for the<br> Chaos mages and wonders if he has some leaning toward that<br> alignment as well? Maybe a closer look at this person who seemed<br>
to "join" the group by luck just weeks ago. Was that fate<br> or something else? Third they wonder what the offer is and<br> if it will be a loss to them.<br><br> Chion looks back with Caladan. Now both can see the dragon<br>
that was in the front now behind the ship to the west. It<br> is clear the ship has over passed it. They look at each other<br> and see Kiet. They heard something about his plan but with the<br> wind didn't get all the words. Now the fool is out there flying<br>
around it. One takes out a flying creature on the flying island<br> and now he thinks himself a dragon killer! chion shakes his<br> head and moves back to the other dragon. Now it is little over<br> 2,000 feet away. By now the first chunks of meat has reached<br>
his general area and it's clear to Chion the magically<br> created meat seems to be distracting it. But some of the meat<br> is gone likely have sunken a bit. If only he could've done<br> feathers they might've floated more.<br>
<br> Those at the forward part of the ship with bows move now<br> to the west starboard side. They watch as Kiet seems to have<br> started his strange talk with the Dragon. Then they realize<br> Kiet is being left behind and hope he can teleport back.<br>
<br> All those on board know their bows are almost 3 times out<br> of normal range. They lower them and wait for Kiet's sign.<br> Kell considers a few actions but then realizes it could foul<br>
up Kiet's plan. Ben'dar did warn to give the man a chance.<br> Will in the rear considers his own plans but realizes quickly<br> the one in the rear is too far to even catch up if the ship<br> went at half speed. He gives up and heads toward the others<br>
and prepares his bow. Like the others he will fire if things<br> go bad. Arawn had considered coming out with him flying along<br> with Kiet to the dragon. But it was clear Kiet did not want help.<br>
Of course more distractions to the dragon might ruin some of Kiet's<br> own plans. Arawn prepares new actions in his mind in case things<br> go bad as well.<br><br> Fremea lowers her spyglass and wonders why did Kiet display<br>
his arms to the dragon?<br><br><br> --------------<br><br> [Time: 1:44:22 pm] to [Time: 1:44:30 pm]<br><br> Kiet finishes his speech and waits for the results. But<br>
he realizes his flight spell duration might be over soon<br> and recasts it. As he starts the magical words he realizes<br> if he fails he is surely dead. He might have two bites,<br> some 2 or 3 seconds to curse himself. This was another<br>
thing he didn't think of before he flew off. Failure would<br> be bad here.<br><br> On board ship Arawn casts a quiet spell and watches<br> with a careful eye to his own inner eye. He sighs and fears<br>
the result.<br><br> Kiet looks down as he circles the dragon and waits for his<br> answer. When the Dragon glances at the fleeing ship and back<br> at Kiet it quickly roars again. Kiet groans and realizes<br>
that the dragon is not nodding his agreement. Kiet glances<br> back at the ship. He realizes the ship is now almost 1,300<br> feet away. His slow flight might not catch up in time unless<br> the ship circled back.<br>
<br> Chion smiles as he notices the original rear dragon gobble<br> up the first chunk of meat that has reached it.<br><br> Zhou is finally dragged on deck from below. All the while<br> protesting and eating a roll in his mouth. As the sailor<br>
closes the hatch to the stairs, Kell pulls Zhou to the side.<br> Zhou protests and spits chunks of bread at Kell as he claims<br> he should remain below to protect it. Then Kell raises a finger<br> to silence him and points to the water. Zhou for the first time<br>
sees the dragon. Zhou's face goes pale and half the chunk of<br> bread falls to the deck as he chokes on the other half as it<br> goes down his throat quickly. In that same instant he twirls<br> around and heads back to the stairs. But Kell reaches out to<br>
grab his shoulder to stop him. Kell frowns this is the party's<br> fearless leader in Katai?<br><br> Unali and Fremea see Kiet's face go pale or is that a bit<br> of green too? He glances back at the ship and frowns.<br>
The captain also with his own spyglass watches as Kiet shakes<br> his head.<br><br> "It didn't work!" The Captain shouts.<br><br> Arawn nods having seen it in the future Kiet being chased<br>
by a angry dragon.<br><br><br> --------------<br><br> [Time: 1:44:30 pm]<br><br> Actions? Comments?<br><br> Next Update...Friday...maybe<br><br> GM: Dragon A [Was the original Rear one] is now 2,100 feet<br>
behind the ship.<br> Dragon B [One near Kiet] is now 1,270 feet away from<br> ship but only 10-15 feet away from Kiet. Kiet<br> is also the same distance away 1,270 (plus or<br>
minus the circle 10-15 feet he is making).<br> The ship has actually moved past both dragons now. Going<br> back to the clock perspective. Ship is facing 4 o'clock<br> or south-east. Dragon A is 11 o'clock (north-west of<br>
the rear of the ship). Dragon B is more 10 o'clock or<br> west-north-west a bit. I was going to do a map but<br> at these distance it is hard for a hex map. Would be<br> well over 1200 hexes.<br>
I.....A.....I Original Rear Dragon<br> I.......... I<br> I...B.......I Original Forward/Kiet<br> I...........I Ship<br>
I.......S...I<br> That is a rough sketch. No scale for it though.<br><br> GM: Posted actions -<br><br> Arawn - Bow ready.<br> Ben'dar - Bow ready.<br>
Fremea - Bow ready. Multiarrow Max EL, Medium-Long Range<br> Will - Bow ready.<br> Chion - Bow ready.<br> Raban - Bow ready. Prepare ELmax Multi-arrow, Fire @ 300'<br>
Strie'bog- Bow ready. Fire at long range.<br> Unali - Sling ready.<br> Z'leyra - Sling ready. at 50' Sh Invisibility EL2<br> Kell - Tulwar/Shield/Spear ready.<br>
If talk go bad summon Cloud elemental<br><br> GM: Sorry Kiet. Great plan. I took into account all the<br> factors. Actor, rhetoric and such. Sadly after all<br> the modifiers it was only a 12% chance of going off<br>
in this case. Things that might've changed that might<br> have been a blessing for eloquence or some other magic<br> spell. But it WAS a good plan. I like the role playing<br> aspect of it.<br>
<br> GM: It has been 7 minutes since the dragons were first seen<br> or soon. In that time the rear one has yet to catch<br> up at any good distance and likely will not. The<br> one in front was distracted enough by Kiet now that<br>
unless the ship circles back it may not catch up (good<br> chance). So by the very fact of the ship's speed there<br> likely will not be any combat at all unless something<br> changes like someone orders the ship to circle back or<br>
circle in place for Kiet to catch up. The captain looks<br> like he has no plans to risk the ship going back. Unless<br> someone orders it and even then it would have to be<br> a good reason for him to do so.<br>
<br> GM: Primary concern. How does Kiet get back to the ship?<br> All other actions may be an aside. For example what Kell<br> had planned might still work and do some damage if he wanted<br> to as it would drift back away from the ship. Other actions<br>
like bow obviously is too far away to do anything. If Kiet<br> can return to the ship safely then the chance of combat<br> will go down to nothing. The ship can simply out run both<br> dragons at the increased speed due to Chion's extra spell,<br>
the distance and the magic talisman If Kiet hadn't gone<br> out to distract the dragon away there clearly would have<br> been some melee combat by now. So in one aspect Kiet's<br> plan worked to get the dragon away from the ship. Both<br>
dragons are now behind the ship. I have saved actions<br> from Arawn, Kell and Will among those posted above in the<br> posted actions section. I will keep those in mind. Will<br> likely do Kell and Arawn's since those If...then conditions<br>
have been met (talk failures). If you want to modify those<br> actions let me know or cancel them.<br><br> GM: For mechanics - Ship is going MR 27, Dragons 24-25 depending<br> on currents. Some like Fremea can actually fly faster than<br>
that.<br><br> GM: Sorry for not coming out earlier with this. Weekend was<br> a weekend with little computer time. Home A/C (central<br> heat) died. So with florida going Fri/Sat of temps of<br>
100 degrees (heat index of 112) it was 94 degrees at night<br> in the house. So it was no time to sit at a home computer<br> and work! It was down only saturday and fixed on sunday<br> afternoon (some battery at the outside unit died of all<br>
things - go figure!). Its normal now. Then last night<br> had a thunderstorm so couldn't work with the heavy<br> lightning. So it comes out 2 days later. Oh well.<br> Depending on actions and time I may do a update Friday<br>
if not will do one Monday.<br><br> GM: Will inform Z'leyra of Raban's scan privately for her to<br> email or post public here if Raban wants that. Old actions<br> that were in the IBT for Z'leyra rather than posted then<br>
so including now as i work on it.<br><br><br><br><br>_______________________________________________<br>pnpgm mailing list<br><a href="mailto:pnpgm@abroere.xs4all.nl">pnpgm@abroere.xs4all.nl</a><br><a href="http://abroere.xs4all.nl/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pnpgm" target="_blank">http://abroere.xs4all.nl/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/pnpgm</a><br>
</blockquote></div><br>